It appears the former two-term Florida governor is the reason his name isn't on the ballot.

"He requested not to be put on the poll this year," an official with the American Conservative Union, the group that puts on CPAC, told CNN. The official asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely.

And that was quickly confirmed by a spokesman for Bush.

"It was our request to Mr. Cardenas when he extended the invite for Gov. Bush to speak. We asked not to be included, as Gov. Bush has said repeatedly, it is too early to think about 2016," Bush spokesperson Jaryn Emhof told CNN Chief Washington Correspondent Jake Tapper, anchor of the upcoming CNN program "The Lead."

Bush will speak at the conference Friday.

Bush lately has been doing something he's never really done before: talk publicly about possibly running for president. Earlier this month as Bush did the television interview circuit, including two interviews on CNN, around the release of his new book, "Immigration Wars: Forging an American Solution," the son and brother of former presidents openly discussed his thinking on a run for the White House in 2016.

But in those interviews Bush, who passed on running for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 and 2012, said he won't be making a decision on the next race for the White House any time soon and chided the media for obsessing on 2016.

"I suspect Jeb didn't want to be on straw poll list. He has consistently said it's too early for 2016 talk and doesn't do anything to fan the flames," said Ana Navarro, a GOP strategist, CNN contributor and friend of Bush.

And a source very close to Bush told CNN Chief Political Correspondent Candy Crowley, anchor of CNN's "State of the Union," that the straw poll "would start a conversation he doesn't want and doesn't even think should happen at this time."

Hanging over Bush is what can be described as Bush fatigue - the idea that a Jeb Bush bid for the White House would carry his family's political baggage.

His father, George H.W. Bush, served one term before losing his 1992 re-election campaign against then-Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton. The elder Bush angered many conservatives by breaking his "no new taxes" pledge.

His brother George W. Bush served two terms but left office in January 2009 as a very unpopular president, even among Republicans, who were angered by his support of federal spending increases and his 2008 bailout of Wall Street during the financial crisis.

A few high-profile conservatives and potential White House hopefuls who weren't invited to speak at the CPAC nevertheless made it onto the ballot.

While New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell were not invited to speak, both appear on the 23-name ballot obtained by CNN for the next GOP presidential nomination. (McDonnell will still appear at CPAC on a panel but will not be a featured speaker.)

The straw poll is often considered a way to gauge where the conservative base stands on potential Republican nominees. Last year, when the conference took place in February, then-candidate Mitt Romney won the poll at a crucial point in the Republican primary. The former governor of Massachusetts took 38% of the vote, while former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum received 31%, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich was at 15% and then-Texas Rep. Ron Paul stood at 12%.

In previous years, however, Paul was the winner of the poll. The libertarian-learning Republican came out on top in 2011 and 2010.

In 2009, months after the 2008 election, Romney took first place, with Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal coming in second and Paul tying for third place with Sarah Palin, the 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee.

Also of note, freshman Sen. Ted Cruz, who rose to fame for his grassroots support in a heated Texas primary and run-off last year, made the list. Given that he was born in Canada with an American citizen mother and a Cuban father, his eligibility for president has been subject to debate.

Neurosurgeon Ben Carson interestingly appears on the poll–the only one on the list who's never been elected to public office. He generated buzz among conservative circles after he advocated conservative policies on taxes and health care right in front of President Obama while keynoting the national prayer breakfast last month.

soundoff(111 Responses)

For Christ sake, which American in his or her right frame of mind needs another Bush in the White House. Haven't we learnt our lesson from the Bushes.It's all war,war,war& war!.We're sick & tied of it.

March 14, 2013 06:34 pm at 6:34 pm |

rs

The "Droners" a new class of non-thinkers who fear that somehow, someway drones (under the control of the President-Right from the White House!) might get them are hilarious. Really people? In this country, taking up arms against the police, against federal agents, or against the government probably willlikely get you shot, and probably get you killed.In popular parlance it is called "suicide by police". In the case of the "Droners"- pay attention. Those killed fighting AGAINST the United States, on the field of battle with the Taliban or Al Queda are no longer going to receive due process. It is war, remember? The President wanted terrorists captured to be tried in U.S. Courts (where such prosecutions have been highly effective and successful). The GOP response? They went nuts. They wanted terrorists either captured and tried by Military Tribunals in Gitmo (which has, in large been unsuccessful- but hey, it kept Gitmo open), or they wanted them shot in the field.
So, once again, the GOP-ish whiners are simply looking for something to cry about, and as usual because of the banality of their complaints, they mean pretty much nothing.
Think, please, think before you parrot Hannity or Rush.

March 14, 2013 06:36 pm at 6:36 pm |

Donkey Party

What a truly embarrassing list of GOP "hopefuls". In related news, here in the real world, those same names comprise the list of the most unfit to serve candidates.

March 14, 2013 06:36 pm at 6:36 pm |

nothing new here

Religious extremists and neocons.
The GOP has lost it's way.

March 14, 2013 06:45 pm at 6:45 pm |

rs

just sayin

bill clinton's intelligence at the time said iraq had wmd. i guess bill clinton, and all the other country's who had similar intelligence, lied to the world. liberals are such lunatics.
________________________________________
The difference is that prior to the War with Iraq (when Cheney & Rummy armed Iraq AGAINST the Iranian)s, they did in fact have WMDs- we knew because we sold them to them. The critical difference is we did not know precisely what had happened to them- and so Clinton wasn't about to act on that old knowledge. Bush did. He tried to scare Americans with the old "proof in the form of a mushroom cloud" line. Note- no one EVER said Iraq had nuke, much less a way to deliver them.
Bush lied us into war, AGAINST intelligence from NATO, or our allies. He sent Colin Powell to the UNand wrecked the man's reputation by having him ascert that in fact Iraq at the time had WMDs, and there was ample evidence to prove it.
When the obvious became clear- it was all a joke to Mr. Bush- remember the White House Correspondents' dinner?
He joked about starting a war. A war that killed 125,000 Iraqis, made 2 million Iraqi refugees, that we lost 4,000 soldiers fighting and spent more than 100 billion dollars trying to rebuild the Iraqi infrastructure (still not complete today!).
And you call who the lunatics?

March 14, 2013 06:56 pm at 6:56 pm |

Hap

He caught a break by them not having him on the ballot. Remember, these are mostly the proven losers and some of their rising stars who also share their losing views. This CPUNK bunch is the brand of republican that still thinks that thier problem was that they did a poor job of spreading their message. They won't acknowledge it's the message, so they repackage it with a young handsome Hispanic fellow and try and sell it again. Lucky Jeb. Can't wait to hear who wins, that will be interesting, my money is on the puppy (good boy) Rubio, but I'm rooting for Palin for the entertainment factor.

March 14, 2013 07:21 pm at 7:21 pm |

Jim

They are systematically eliminating every candidate who could win the Presidency in 2016, and are actively undermining in many districts all but the most right-radical candidates for the Senate and House races in 2014. They want a showdown, not a compromise. They want a clear win. They will have their "McGovern Moment."

March 14, 2013 07:24 pm at 7:24 pm |

meh

I do not like green eggs and ham!

March 14, 2013 07:54 pm at 7:54 pm |

Thomas

Bush #3, the third times the charm !

March 14, 2013 08:01 pm at 8:01 pm |

Lisa

No way would the country vote for a third Bush. Sorry Jeb. George II ruined that for you.